Editor,

Rees-Mogg eggs on Liddell-Grainger Two stories on page 8 of last week's Free Press provided an insight into the political direction of the Conservative candidate for the Tiverton & Minehead parliamentary constituency, suggesting that he might be anticipating a change in the leadership of the Conservative Party.

Firstly, an amusingly sycophantic piece, 'Rees-Mogg visits area' in support of Mr Liddell-Grainger, noting the predilection of the MP for North East Somerset for cream eggs. Secondly, a story about our current MP's call for the Government to prove that it supports farmers. Intriguingly, for a Tory MP who voted Leave at the EU Referendum, Mr Liddell-Grainger is quoted as saying that farmers are better cared for in other European countries, than they are by the UK government.

Our MP is not a member of Jacob Rees-Mogg's fervently pro-Brexit European Research Group, but, in aligning himself with Mr Rees-Mogg's championing of the grassroots membership of the Conservative Party, one has the impression that Ian Liddell-Grainger has calculated that his survival as an MP depends on shifting further to the right. 

A colourful advert for cream eggs in Minehead's Coop - 'So Much Goo!' - struck me as a splendid metaphor for the sticky embrace of the two MPs!

Ian Scott,

Minehead

Editor,

As an Old Cleeve parishioner who's been inconvenienced and occasionally endangered by the huge amount of extra traffic forced on to the road between Blue Anchor and the Dragon's Cross junction with the A39, I feel compelled to draw attention to the highway authority's inept handling of traffic management around Blue Anchor and Old Cleeve.

The reason extra traffic is using this road is due to the former Somerset Highways Authority failing to reinstate the B3191 road between Watchet and Blue Anchor due to dramatic erosion of the cliff and beach close to coast road near Cleeve Hill and Daws Castle.

The public are expected to believe that the sudden cliff deterioration and road closure was purely due to geological factors.

But my cynical side cannot help suspecting that the timing by Somerset Highways was questionable.

This body had recently lost millions of pounds they would have gained if developers had been allowed to build 136 houses opposite Daws Castle.

A local pressure group opposing the plans took no small part in persuading the authority to reject the development.

The rejection cost the council the opportunity to realign the failing road and possibly help to reinforce the cliff at a bargain price as the developers had agreed to underwrite much of the costs.

Recently an official working party of consultants announced that the coast road will never re open as the broken cliff is impossible to repair.

The road closure has severely impacted trade in Watchet.

Added to this, the authority has directed traffic heading for Blue Anchor and the two caravan/camping sites on the B3191 to use the unclassified and narrow road between Dragon's Cross and Blue Anchor as the coast road from Watchet is now permanently closed.

The extra traffic now coming past Cleeve Park and Old Cleeve is often fast and dangerous with many drivers ignoring the 30 mph limit.

My attention to the deficiencies of this diversion were focussed on March 16 as I drove towards Dragon's Cross to take an elderly relative shopping in Minehead. I faced an onslaught of traffic unnecessarily diverted towards Blue Anchor and Carhampton due to a serious collision near Dunster Steep that closed the A39 to Minehead.

While temporary diversions are necessary following collisions, it proved pointless to send extra traffic on this narrow route to Blue Anchor because once the drivers emerged back on the A39 at Carhampton, they still faced a long wait to get to Minehead because of the collision.

It would have been so helpful if the police directing traffic following the collision had told drivers exactly where the collision took place.

Robert Barron

Cleeve Park

Editor,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minehead Male Voice Choir and all who attended the Minehead Dementia Action Charity Concert at St Andrew’s Church Minehead on Saturday, March 23. The choir sang to a full house and their songs were enjoyed by all. The audience very generously donated over £600 to our small charity and this will be used to support local people living with dementia and their carers. Minehead Dementia Action is a very active group and we run various activities throughout the week so that people with memory loss can continue to live well. We also work in the local community to raise awareness of dementia.For further details please ring : 07510962567.

Minehead Male Voice Choir raise thousands of pounds for charity and extend a warm welcome to new members. They practise at the Alcombe Methodist Church on Monday evenings between 7.15pm to 9.30pm  www.mineheadmalevoicechoir.org.uk Val Stuart

Volunteer Minehead Dementia Action Alliance